Popular Entertainment

Elvis Presley Record

This Museum's popular entertainment collections hold some of the Smithsonian's most beloved artifacts. The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz reside here, along with the Muppet character Kermit the Frog, and props from popular television series such as M*A*S*H and All in the Family. But as in many of the Museum's collections, the best-known objects are a small part of the story.

The collection also encompasses many other artifacts of 19th- and 20th-century commercial theater, film, radio, and TV—some 50,000 sound recordings dating back to 1903; posters, publicity stills, and programs from films and performances; puppets; numerous items from World's Fairs from 1851 to 1992; and audiovisual materials on Groucho Marx, to name only a few.

Date: 1920s

It's So Good; Dirty Dog

Jack Teagarden and the Whoopie Makers. side 1: It's So Good; side 2: Dirty Dog (United Hot Clubs of America 39/40).78 rpm. Track 1 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Oriole 1668. Track 2 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Pathé 37042 and Perfect 15223.
Description (Brief)

Jack Teagarden and the Whoopie Makers. side 1: It's So Good; side 2: Dirty Dog (United Hot Clubs of America 39/40).
78 rpm. Track 1 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Oriole 1668. Track 2 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Pathé 37042 and Perfect 15223. This disc was repressed and issued for UHCA members in 1938.

United Hot Clubs of America was a record label established in 1936 by American Record Producer, Milt Gabler (1911-2001). Gabler sold UHCA recordings from his Commodore Music Shop in New York. UHCA recordings were pressed directly from the original masters which were leased from notable record companies of the 1920s and 1930s. Originally, the records were sold through a subscription service, but subsequently were more broadly available.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1929
release date
1938
recording artist
Teagarden, Jack
Whoopie Makers
Jack Teagarden and the Whoopie Makers
McPartland, Jimmy
Rodin, Gil
Freeman, Bud
Goodman, Benny
Briedis, Vic
Morgan, Dick
Goodman, Harry
Bauduc, Ray
manufacturer
United Hot Clubs of America
ID Number
1988.0698.2206
catalog number
1988.0698.2206
accession number
1988.0698
collector/donor number
T18

"Silver Moon"

This sheet music is for the song “Silver Moon,” with lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1927. This song was featured in the Broadway musical My Maryland.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Silver Moon,” with lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1927. This song was featured in the Broadway musical My Maryland. with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics and book by Dorothy Donnelly. My Maryland opened at Jolson’s 59th Street Theatre on September 12, 1927.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1927
publisher
Harms, Inc.
ID Number
1984.0023.06
accession number
1984.0023
catalog number
1984.0023.06

"Just We Two"

This sheet music is for the song “Just We Two,” with words by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was published by Harms, Inc.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “Just We Two,” with words by Dorothy Donnelly and music by Sigmund Romberg. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1924.

"Just We Two" was featured in the operetta The Student Prince, with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. The operetta opened on Broadway on December 2, 1924, at Jolson's 59th Street Theatre.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1924
publisher
Harms, Inc.
ID Number
1986.0021.14
accession number
1986.0021
catalog number
1986.0021.14

"The Lonesome Road"

This sheet music is for the song “The Lonesome Road,” with lyrics by Gene Austin and music by Nathaniel Shilkret. It was published by Spier and Coslow, Inc.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “The Lonesome Road,” with lyrics by Gene Austin and music by Nathaniel Shilkret. It was published by Spier and Coslow, Inc. in New York, New York in 1928.

"The Lonseome Road" was featured in the 1929 Universal Pictures romantic drama film Show Boat, directed by Carl Laemmle and starred Laura La Plante and Joseph Schildkraut. The cover features images of Joseph Schildkraut and Laura La Plante with the caption, "Special Motion Picture Edition Issued in Connection with Carl Laemmle's Universal Production, 'SHOW BOAT.' Show Boat was released by Universal in two editions, one a silent film for movie theatres not equipped for sound, and one a part-talkie with a sound prologue.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1928
publisher
Spier and Coslow Incorporated
ID Number
1986.0021.17
accession number
1986.0021
catalog number
1986.0021.17

Violano Virtuoso Roll #2814

This music roll was made by Mills Novelty Company in Chicago, Illinois, about 1928-1929. It is Roll #2814, playable in a Violano Virtuoso player. The tune list for this roll is as follows:Roll #2814 - Five Runs! Five Hits!
Description (Brief)

This music roll was made by Mills Novelty Company in Chicago, Illinois, about 1928-1929. It is Roll #2814, playable in a Violano Virtuoso player. The tune list for this roll is as follows:

Roll #2814 - Five Runs! Five Hits! No Errors!
13909: Just a Little Bit of Driftwood (fox trot), Abe Lyman, Dohl Davis & Benny Davis, copyright 1928, Robbins Music Corp.
13910: Happy Go Lucky Lane (fox trot), Lewis, Young & Meyer, copyright 1928, Jerome Remick
13911: Dream River (waltz), George Brown, copyright 1928, Joe Morris Music Co.
13912: My Baby Came Home (fox trot), Buddy Fields-Charlie Newman-Jack Gardner, copyright 1928, Milton Weil.
13913: There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth the Salt Of My Tears (fox trot), Fred Fisher, copyright 1927, De Sylva Brown & Henderson

Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1928-1929
maker
Mills Novelty Company
ID Number
MI.73.19
accession number
289515
catalog number
73.19
maker number
2814

"Tea for Two"

This sheet music is for the song “Tea for Two,” with words by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, and music by Vincent Youmans. It was published by Harms, Inc.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “Tea for Two,” with words by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, and music by Vincent Youmans. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1924.

"Tea For Two" was featured in the musical comedy No, No, Nanette, with music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, and book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. No, No, Nanette opened on Broadway on September 16, 1925 at the Globe Theatre and starred Louise Groody and Charles Winninger.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1924
publisher
Harms, Inc.
ID Number
1986.0021.41
accession number
1986.0021
catalog number
1986.0021.41

University of Minnesota Songs

This song book University of Minnesota Songs, was published by Thornton W. Allen in New York, New York in 1926.Currently not on view
Description
This song book University of Minnesota Songs, was published by Thornton W. Allen in New York, New York in 1926.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1926
referenced
University of Minnesota
publisher
University of Minnesota
ID Number
1986.0370.03
accession number
1986.0370
catalog number
1986.0370.03

"Ol' Man River"

This sheet music contains the music and lyrics for “Ol’ Man River,” a song from the 1927 Broadway musical Show Boat, one of the masterpieces of American theater.
Description
This sheet music contains the music and lyrics for “Ol’ Man River,” a song from the 1927 Broadway musical Show Boat, one of the masterpieces of American theater. Sheet music was a popular means of dispersing songs throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, before the widespread availability of phonographs and radio shifted the music industry’s focus to recorded songs. With sheet music such as this, people would typically gather around a piano and sing, bringing the stories and sounds of the theater into parlors across the country.

Show Boat is regarded as the first American musical to depart from the genre’s traditional light comedy by featuring serious dramatic complexities, notably race relations among people along the Mississippi River. Show Boat was adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern from the 1926 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edna Ferber. Both the book and the musical mix humor with nostalgia as they recall the disappearing culture of the show boat. A novelty form of performance in the 1800s, a show boat was a floating theater that featured melodramas, musical acts, dancing, and vaudeville as it traveled along American waterways such as the Mississippi, Cumberland, and Ohio Rivers. The popularity of showboats declined in the 20th century as the country moved from the rivers to the roads and motion pictures replaced the stage as the main form of entertainment. The musical Show Boat recalls this era, as it follows the Cotton Blossom and the people the boat affects while traveling up and down the Mississippi.

Although the main focus of the musical is on the cast and crew of the Cotton Blossom, the most interesting and memorable character is Joe, the black dock worker who tells the story of hardships suffered by African Americans through the song “Ol’ Man River.” Juxtaposed against the white merrymakers on board—Show Boat was the first integrated musical, featuring actors of both races on stage and in the chorus— Joe totes bales of cotton and sings about his struggles. The lyrics “Ah gets weary an’ sick of tryin’, Ahm tired of livin’ an’ skeered of dyin’,” reflect the somber, yet resigned tone of the song. Just as with the problems of all the characters, the relentless Mississippi pays no heed, for the river just keeps rolling along.

The African American characters in Show Boat have been viewed by some as offensive caricatures that portray black people as servants. Animosity toward the play has been demonstrated in various ways. For instance, Paul Robeson, the famous singer for whom the part of Joe was originally written, altered the lyrics in his own recordings of “Ol’ Man River,” removing certain words and the stereotypical dialect. Protests are frequently staged against revivals of the musical, although some performing arts critics and historians point to the treatment of a mixed-race marriage in the play, Hammerstein’s own desire for tolerance, and the fact that portrayal of racist stereotypes in modern American theater employed is usually not to condone racism, but to satirize and condemn the mindsets that perpetuate it.
publishing date
1927
"Show Boat" debuted on Broadway
1927
authored Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, <I>Showboat</I>
Ferber, Edna
playwright
Hammerstein II, Oscar
Kern, Jerome
singer
Robeson, Paul
publisher
T. B. Harms Company
ID Number
2008.3026.01
nonaccession number
2008.3026
catalog number
2008.3026.01

"Sometimes I'm Happy"

This sheet music is for the song “Sometimes I’m Happy,” with lyrics by Leo Robin and Clifford Grey and music by Vincent Youmans. It was published by Harms, Inc.
Description

This sheet music is for the song “Sometimes I’m Happy,” with lyrics by Leo Robin and Clifford Grey and music by Vincent Youmans. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1927.

"Sometimes I'm Happy" was featured in the 1927 Broadway musical Hit the Deck, with music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Leo Robin and Clifford Grey, and book by Herbert Fields. The musical opened at the Belasco Theater on April 25, 1927.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1927
publisher
Harms Incorporated
ID Number
1985.0392.16
accession number
1985.0392
catalog number
1985.0392.16

"Are You Lonesone To-Night"

This sheet music is for the song "Are You Lonesome To-Night?" with words and music by Ray Turk and Lou Handman. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1927.
Description

This sheet music is for the song "Are You Lonesome To-Night?" with words and music by Ray Turk and Lou Handman. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1927. The cover features an image of a woman sitting in front of a moonlit window.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by American artist and illustrator Sydney Lefkowitz (Leff) (1901-2005). Leff began his career as a commercial artist while he was still in high school. He would produce sheet music covers through the 1940s and subsequently moved on to generating advertising for Madison Avenue clients.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1927
publisher
Irving Berlin, Inc.
ID Number
1984.1117.02
accession number
1984.1117
catalog number
1984.1117.02

"The Broadway Melody"

This sheet music is for the song “The Broadway Melody,” with lyrics by Arthur Freed and melody by Nacio Herb Brown. It was published by Robbins Music Corporation in New York, New York in 1928.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “The Broadway Melody,” with lyrics by Arthur Freed and melody by Nacio Herb Brown. It was published by Robbins Music Corporation in New York, New York in 1928. This song was featured in the 1929 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pre-Code musical film “The Broadway Melody,” directed by Harry Beaumont and starred Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love , and Jed Prouty. The cover features images of dancing girls and insets of images of Charles King, Bessie Love, and Anita Page
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1928
publisher
Robbins Music Corporation
ID Number
1984.1117.05
accession number
1984.1117
catalog number
1984.1117.05

“A Coon’s Doxology"

This sheet music is for the song “A Coon’s Doxology,” with words by Jeff Branen and music by Leo Friedman. It was published by Eldridge Entertainment House in Franklin, Ohio in 1925. This was originally published by Denison and Company in Chicago, Illinois.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “A Coon’s Doxology,” with words by Jeff Branen and music by Leo Friedman. It was published by Eldridge Entertainment House in Franklin, Ohio in 1925. This was originally published by Denison and Company in Chicago, Illinois. According to the cover, this collection of Denison songs were marketed as “Exclusive Novelty Numbers for Musical Comedies, Minstrels, Vaudeville Revues, and Specialties.”
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1925
publisher
Eldridge Entertainment House
ID Number
1985.0874.05
accession number
1985.0874
catalog number
1985.0874.05

“Don't Leave Me Mammy”

This sheet music for the song “Don't Leave Me Mammy" was written by Benny Davis and B. G. DeSylva and composed by Henry W. Santly and Con Conrad. The music was published by Remick and Co. of New York, New York in 1927.
Description
This sheet music for the song “Don't Leave Me Mammy" was written by Benny Davis and B. G. DeSylva and composed by Henry W. Santly and Con Conrad. The music was published by Remick and Co. of New York, New York in 1927. The cover features a photograph of Karyl Norman who called himself "The Creole Fashion Plate." Norman was an early vaudevillian who performed in drag, and called himself the “fashion plate” because the “template” sets the fashion trends and decides what is in vogue, and Norman wanted to be seen as trendy.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1927
publisher
Jerome H. Remick & Co.
ID Number
1982.0439.28
catalog number
1982.0439.028
accession number
1982.0439

"Eleanor"

This sheet music is for the song, “Eleanor,” by Jessie L. Deppen. It was published by Sam Fox Publishing Co. in Cleveland, Ohio in 1922.Currently not on view
Description
This sheet music is for the song, “Eleanor,” by Jessie L. Deppen. It was published by Sam Fox Publishing Co. in Cleveland, Ohio in 1922.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1922
publisher
Sam Fox Publishing Co.
ID Number
1987.0914.02
accession number
1987.0914
catalog number
1987.0914.02

"Nobody But Fanny"

This sheet music is for the song “Nobody but Fanny,” by Al Jolson, Buddy G. de Sylva, and Con Conrad. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1925.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Nobody but Fanny,” by Al Jolson, Buddy G. de Sylva, and Con Conrad. It was published by Harms, Inc. in New York, New York in 1925. This song was featured in the 1925 Broadway musical comedy Big Boy, which open at the Winter Garden and ran for 56 performances with a return engagement at the 44th Street Theatre on August 24, 1925, running for an additional 120 performances. There is an image of American singer, comedian, and actor Al Jolson (1886-1950) on the cover.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1925
depicted (sitter)
Jolson, Al
publisher
Harms Incorporated
ID Number
1984.0458.15
accession number
1984.0458
catalog number
1984.0458.15

“Wabash Blues”

This sheet music is for the song “Wabash Blues.” Dave Ringle wrote the song’s lyrics and Fred Meinken composed the music. Leo Feist Inc. of New York City published this sheet music in 1921.
Description (Brief)
This sheet music is for the song “Wabash Blues.” Dave Ringle wrote the song’s lyrics and Fred Meinken composed the music. Leo Feist Inc. of New York City published this sheet music in 1921. The blue cover has an image of a yellow house, with an inset photograph of Vincent Lopez, a popular band leader at the time who would have featured the song with his orchestra.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1921
publisher
Leo Feist, Inc.
ID Number
1983.0424.139
accession number
1983.0424
catalog number
1983.0424.139

"The Stars and Stripes Forever"

This player piano roll was made by Imperial Player Roll Company in Chicago, Illinois, late 1920s. It is roll #X9089 – “Stars and Stripes Forever,” by John Philip Sousa.Currently not on view
Description
This player piano roll was made by Imperial Player Roll Company in Chicago, Illinois, late 1920s. It is roll #X9089 – “Stars and Stripes Forever,” by John Philip Sousa.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 1920s
manufacturer
Imperial
ID Number
MI.71.12.06
accession number
292526
catalog number
71.12.06

The Stepping Stones

This song book is for the musical play The Stepping Stones, with book by Anne Caldwell and R. H. Burnside, lyrics by Anne Caldwell, and music by Jerome Kern. It was published by T.B. Harms Company in New, New York in 1923.
Description
This song book is for the musical play The Stepping Stones, with book by Anne Caldwell and R. H. Burnside, lyrics by Anne Caldwell, and music by Jerome Kern. It was published by T.B. Harms Company in New, New York in 1923. The show was produced by Charles Dillingham at the Globe Theater, and opened November 6, 1923.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1923
publisher
T. B. Harms Company
ID Number
1983.0549.03
catalog number
1983.0549.03
accession number
1983.0549

"The Love Nest"

This sheet music is for the song “The Love Nest,” with words by Otto Harbach and music by Louis A. Hirsch. It was published by Victoria Publishing Corporation in New York, New York in 1920. This song was featured in the Broadway two-act musical Mary.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “The Love Nest,” with words by Otto Harbach and music by Louis A. Hirsch. It was published by Victoria Publishing Corporation in New York, New York in 1920. This song was featured in the Broadway two-act musical Mary. with book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, music by Louis A. Hirsch, and lyrics by Otto Harbach. Mary produced by George M. Cohen, opened at the Knickerbocker Theatre on April 23, 1921 and ran for 220 performances.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1920
publisher
Victoria Publishing Corporation
ID Number
1984.0023.14
accession number
1984.0023
catalog number
1984.0023.14

"Yankee Doodle Blues"

This sheet music is for the song “Yankee Doodle Blues,” with words by Irving Caesar and B. G. De Sylva and music by George Gershwin. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1922. The cover features an image of Al Jolson.Currently not on view
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Yankee Doodle Blues,” with words by Irving Caesar and B. G. De Sylva and music by George Gershwin. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. in New York, New York in 1922. The cover features an image of Al Jolson.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1922
depicted (sitter)
Jolson, Al
publisher
Irving Berlin Inc.
ID Number
1986.0315.11
accession number
1986.0315
catalog number
1986.0315.11

"Sunday"

This sheet music is for the song “Sunday,” with words and music by Ned Miller, Chester Cohn, Jules Stein, and Bennie Krueger. It was published by Leo Feist in New York, New York in 1926.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Sunday,” with words and music by Ned Miller, Chester Cohn, Jules Stein, and Bennie Krueger. It was published by Leo Feist in New York, New York in 1926. The cover features a man and woman in front of a calendar indicating the days of the week with “Sunday” circled.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1926
composer
Miller, Ned
Cohn, Chester
Stein, Jules
Krueger, Bennie
publisher
Leo Feist, Inc.
ID Number
1986.0370.05
accession number
1986.0370
catalog number
1986.0370.05

"What'll I Do"

This sheet music is for the song “What’ll I Do,” by Irving Berlin. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. In New York, New York in 1924.Currently not on view
Description
This sheet music is for the song “What’ll I Do,” by Irving Berlin. It was published by Irving Berlin, Inc. In New York, New York in 1924.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1924
composer
Berlin, Irving
publisher
Irving Berlin, Inc.
ID Number
1986.0021.50
accession number
1986.0021
catalog number
1986.0021.50

Program: Pleasure Crazed

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1929
ID Number
2016.3009.231
nonaccession number
2016.3009
catalog number
2016.3009.231

Honolulu Eyes

This sheet music is for the song “Honolulu Eyes,” with words by Howard Johnson, French text by A. Ballaert, and music by Violinsky. It was published by Leo Feist Inc. in New York, New York in 1920.
Description
This sheet music is for the song “Honolulu Eyes,” with words by Howard Johnson, French text by A. Ballaert, and music by Violinsky. It was published by Leo Feist Inc. in New York, New York in 1920. This song was featured in the 1919 Broadway musical revue The Passing Show of 1919, which opened at the Winter Garden on October 23, 1919 and ran for 280 performances. The cover features an image of the musical group the Avon Comedy Four, who performed this song.
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1920
depicted (sitter)
Avon Comedy Four
publisher
Leo Feist Inc.
ID Number
1984.0458.10
accession number
1984.0458
catalog number
1984.0458.10

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